TIVO deal

[blueblood]

The basic question is - is the TIVO deal of a free refurbished series 2 - 80 hour unit for a one year subscription of $155 a good deal for a low volume viewer of TV ?

Background - We seldom watch TV. I have therefore had no real interest inTIVO. We assume a show missed will come back as a rerun and be rerun again so we'll be able to see it at some point. However, we do occassionally miss a special that we would have liked to have seen which isn't likely to repeat. This week was one of those times. Our son was interviewed by CBS News and then testified before the Senate Finance Committee the next day, which was broadcast by CSPAN in two formats i.e. CSPAN 2 and CSPAN 3. We totally missed the the CSPAN broadcasts due to various problems. It has raised the issue for me as to whether I should possibly buy at least some minimal level of service. My equipment is basic - my new coach came with the KVH stationary unit and I use an old model 300 DISH TV receiver.

So, a second question is will this be adequate to use with the series 2 if I buy the subscription ??

Leo

 

[martinday]

Blueblood,

I use my Tivo which I think is a series 1 quite religously it is good for either taping shows
when you are not home or taping a show that comes on at the same time as another one (of course
you have to watch on a different tv) . It is especially good since we believe in not bringing a TV when we go camping. I have had problems however with my Dish Network because
the TIVO will not reactivate the Dish Reciever after it has gone into the update mode (once per day). I
am not sure if this has been fixed with the series II or not. As far as the price it would be fine but
you also have to pay for the subsrcription with tivo which I did for a lifetime but you can do month
to month if you wish. The other option for you with Dish Network is to get the DVR which does basically
the same thing. Often if your unit is old enough you can get a free one from time to time with a subsriptiion
type deal.

 

[blueblood]

Blueblood,

As far as the price it would be fine but
you also have to pay for the subsrcription with tivo which I did for a lifetime but you can do month
to month if you wish.

To clarify - the $155 is the subscription i.e. $12.95/mo The equipment is "free"

 

[martinday]

Sorry I misread. That sounds like a fairly good deal then if that is the lifetime subscription it
is defintely worth it I have used mine about 6 years now on the lifetime deal
which has more than paid for itself over again. The other thing is you will
need either a phone or network connection(not available on series 1) to update
the programiing but if you are full timing I am sure that would not be a problem for you.

 

[John From Detroit]

I would suggest a DISH (or Direc if that is your pleasure) DVR/Receiver combo rather than a TIVO.  There are, in the latest revisions, some advantages to Tivo (Replay has had those advantages a long-long time) but there is a problem too.

Tivo's like to "phone home" for a schedule update (Replay too) this can be done via telephone or internet. HOWEVER some internet providers either proxy or block the ports (I know 80 is one of them) the DVR's use to phone home, and of course a land line telephone connection... Not possible most of the places I park

So, these boxes rather quickly become bricks.

The DISH (and Direc) DVR's however can download their scheduling information (TV Guide) and activation codes via the sattalite they use to download your programming.  Beyond a doubt a better way to go,  True, sometimes that don't work (For example where I'm currently parked it don't work) and it can take hours to recover when I pull out,  but work it does (Eventually) and work well

The downside: Replay and, now, TiVo allow me to download the shows to my computer for viewing "off site" if I choose

The DISH Dvr in the motor home... Does not

 

[Ned]

The DirecTivo model R10 does not need a phone line for anything.  It gets all its schedule data from the satellite.  It won't get any software updates unless you hook it up to a phone line, but there haven't been any in quite a while.  The R15, which is not a Tivo, also gets its software updates from the satellite.

The Tivo user interface is still superior to either the Hughes R15 or the Dish receivers.

 

[blueblood]

The DirecTivo model R10 does not need a phone line for anything.? It gets all its schedule data from the satellite.? It won't get any software updates unless you hook it up to a phone line, but there haven't been any in quite a while.? The R15, which is not a Tivo, also gets its software updates from the satellite.

The Tivo user interface is still superior to either the Hughes R15 or the Dish receivers.

I'm getting confused. Is an R10 a series 2 that they are offering and I'm considering?

 

[Ned]

The R10 is the Hughes branded DirecTivo.  It's a Series 2.  You usually don't get a choice, but take whatever they send out, R10 or R15.  I prefer the DirecTivo and would insist on an R10, but that's your choice to make.  If it's a Series 2, then it's a Tivo, but is it a DirecTivo or just a Tivo?  The standalone Tivos require a phone line for the program schedule data, while the DirecTivos get it from the satellite.

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

The R10 is the Hughes branded DirecTivo.  It's a Series 2.  You usually don't get a choice, but take whatever they send out, R10 or R15.  I prefer the DirecTivo and would insist on an R10, but that's your choice to make.  If it's a Series 2, then it's a Tivo, but is it a DirecTivo or just a Tivo?  The standalone Tivos require a phone line for the program schedule data, while the DirecTivos get it from the satellite.

Ned,

I think you and most others have missed...

My equipment is basic - my new coach came with the KVH stationary unit and I use an old model 300 DISH TV receiver.

He is talking about using it with his DISH receiver. A R10 or R15 won't work.

 

[Ned]

Then it would be a standalone Tivo and needs a phone line for the programming.  Not a good choice for the fulltime RVer.  However, Dish does have some DVRs that would work.

Thanks for pointing that out.